The Influence of Social Media Marketing Activities of Hotel Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni on Brand Equity and E-Wom

Abstract

The significance of Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMA) in the digital era is essential for hotels to enhance brand equity and promote positive Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM). This study analyzes the impact of SMMA, particularly through Instagram, and explores strategies that can enhance brand equity and e-WOM to foster customer loyalty. The study utilizes a quantitative descriptive methodology, involving purposive sampling to select 385 respondents who are Instagram users, aged 18 and older. These respondents have interacted with the Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni hotel's social media marketing. Data collection was achieved through questionnaires, and the analysis was performed utilizing the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. This study demonstrates that the SMMA of Hotel Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni exerts a positive and significant impact on brand equity. Furthermore, brand equity has also been shown to have a significant and positive influence e-WOM. This research contributes to Hotel Grand Mercure Jakarta Harmoni's understanding of the importance of SMMA in building strong brand equity and fostering positive e-WOM, which can ultimately enhance the hotel's business performance